George Alexander Macfarren
George Alexander Macfarren, Sir, ( born March 2, 1813 in London, † October 31, 1887 in London) was an English composer and music theorist.
Life
Macfarren was the son of George Macfarren (1788-1843), dance teacher, librettist and journalist of Scottish descent, and his wife Elizabeth, née Jackson. From childhood he had a visual impairment in 1860 led to blindness, but his productivity did not diminish; he had to rely on the help of assistants. His younger brother Walter (1826-1905) was a composer ( and long -time piano teacher at the Royal Academy of Music in London).
On September 27, 1844 George Alexander Macfarren married a native of Lübeck singer Thalia Clarina Andrae ( 1828-1916 ). He died at the age of 74 years with chronic bronchitis and a weak heart and was buried in the cemetery in West Hampstead Hampstead Cemetery.
Career
Macfarren was formed in 1829 at the Royal Academy of Music ( RAM) in London, first in composition of Cipriani Potter, who in 1832 took over the management of the Academy.
He was already in 1834 a teacher of composition at the same and 1875, by William Sterndale Bennett's death, one of the directors of the institution. On 5 July 1875 on the death of Bennett, his dedication work of the Royal Philharmonic Society premiered "Idyll in Memory of Sterndale Bennett". At the same time the Senate of the University of Cambridge appointed him professor of music.
As a composer he is best known for the " Overture Chevy Chase " in 1836 and his opera " The Devil's Opera " in 1838. Previously he had met the chord theories of music theorist Alfred Dale, he was standing in the subsequent preparation to the side. Its publication, " A Treatise on Harmony " 1845, he also used for his academic classes, which led to divisions within the academy and its withdrawal in 1847. However, he was appointed on the basis of merit 1851 to the Academy.
In addition to numerous academic honors in 1883, he was awarded the title of nobility.
Macfarren is one of the main representatives of the national English opera, in which he used the shape of the number opera with the exception of " Helvellyn ".
Works
Operas
His most important operas are:
Chamber music, symphonies, overtures, oratorios
He also wrote chamber music pieces, six string quartets, symphonies and overtures and oratorios:
- 1844: Piano Quintet
- 1882: Ajax
Writings
Editorship
He was also earned by publishing several collections of folk songs, such as:
- Old English Ditties: selected from Chappell 's Collection of "Popular Music of the Olden Time." Cramer, Beale & Chappell, London. ( 1857-80, 2 vols ). Vol 1: Internet Archive.
- Moore 's Irish Melodies (1859 ).
- Scottish ditties ( 1861-80 ).
Discography
- Symphonies 4 & 7 Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Werner A. Albert. cpo, 1998. CD
- Chevy Chase. Contained in: Victorian Concert Overtures. English Northern Philharmonia, David Lloyd -Jones ( 1991). Hyperion Records Ltd, London. CD
- Robin Hood, Naxos, 2010 ( double CD)